Muzaffarabad:
The government’s negotiating committee, which was set up on the Directive of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) reached an agreement on Friday, with the final document expected to be signed soon.
The Federal Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry confirmed that the final round of the negotiations was underway and said “public interest and peace remains our greatest priorities”.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal paid tribute to the breakthrough as a “victory for the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and for democracy”. He said that a permanent committee under the supervision of the Minister of Kashmir affairs is composed to oversee the implementation of the agreement.
Iqbal elaborated that the committee would convene every 15 days to review progress with the requirements. In addition, a panel of constitutional experts has been formed to investigate the issue of refugee seats in the legislature.
“The Committee on Constitutional Experts will review all aspects of the case and make a decision that is acceptable to everyone. This is a constitutional question and it will not be rushed,” maintained Iqbal.
The second round of conversations between the federal government’s negotiating team and Jaac resumed around noon on Friday.
The Islamabad team, led by the federal minister of parliamentary affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, held detailed discussions with JAAC members earlier in the day.
After several hours, however, the Awami Action Committee leaders left the room and continued to Kohala, where thousands of protesters, primarily from the Poonch Division, have been camped for days.
Leaders said they would consult with members and supporters of the committees before announcing their next course of action.
Chaudhry posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “positive progress” had been made and that more questions were discussed. However, when he spoke separately on a TV news channel, senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah clarified that “no final consensus” had reached Jaac so far.
In Kohala, the leadership committee leader Shakat Nawaz Mir protesters and urged them to remain patient until internal consultations were completed. “We will consider separately and when we reach agreement, we will present it to you for approval,” he told the audience.
The standoff has effectively closed everyday life in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Stores remain closed, business activity has stopped and both Internet and mobile services are suspended.
Public and private transport also remained away from the roads where protesters blocked the main input of Kohala connecting AJK with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Long convoys of protesters extend from Kohala Chowk to Dhirkot, led by senior JAAC leader Sardar Umar Nazir from Rawalakot.
The Uloden has also given rise to solidarity demonstrations nationwide and abroad. On Friday, members of the Kashmiri community staged protests in front of the Karachi and Lahore press clubs and condemned the government’s crash on protesters in AJK.
Meanwhile, HRCP, in a post of X, said it was deeply intimidated by the ongoing violence in AJK, where it is allegedly that at least nine people, including three police officers, have lost their lives and hundreds have been injured during protests.
“We strongly condemn the use of excessive power and death for both civilians and law enforcement, as well as communication interruptions. While dialogue is important, it cannot be meaningful in the midst of the continued political liberation of the region’s people.”
The Th Commission said the right to peaceful protest must be maintained and complaints are dealt with transparent.
“We urge both federal and ajK governments to avoid further escalation, respect people’s fundamental rights and commit to real, inclusive negotiations. For this purpose, HRCP intends to send a fact-finding mission to AJK as soon as possible to assess the situation,” it said.
